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Convergence and adoption of new business models are reshaping ISP markets.
Competition from multi-play (or bundled service) propositions, by wireless and wireline operators, has severe impact on standalone ISP.
These days it is not unusual for a consumer to buy their Telephony, Television and Internet services from a single provider. Many Telcos today work as a converged communication service provider (Triple Play or Quadruple Play).
So in order to compete, pure ISPs must try to differentiate themselves by exploring ways to enhance their customer appeal which often happens in terms of price and service enhancements leading to eroding revenues.
Bridge can help to adopt and implement more customer focused strategies to counteract declining revenues.
On the other hand there is also a call for ISPs to play a more central role in detecting, monitoring, and preventing illegal file sharing; in addition to their ongoing contribution to the fight against other, perhaps more serious, criminal activities.
These days, it has become commonplace to bundle internet access into multi-play offerings that include TV and telephony which presents tempting opportunities for cross subsidies across the different services (e.g. TV advertisers can reach broadband / telephony customers and vice versa).
Finally, and perhaps most crucially, is the ability to better enable dynamic business models for most internet based enterprises like ISPs.
However, because these options, and their influencing factors, are not really independent of each other, the best way forward is to be found in combining the above options to create a suitable roadmap that will guide and help each ISP to achieve their objectives.
